In packing and plotting for what to bring to Japan, all of the ski gear ranked at the top of the list. This ski gear has previously been dragged half way around the world during business trips for weekend ski adventures. And now we live here?!?! Of course we will do all the skiing things.
A quick couple hour drive and we're in amazing scenery. Climbing higher and higher until we found the snow!
I want to try skiing in Japan. On a perfect day: beautiful sunshine, warmish weather, fluffy powder on an easy breezey (although not actually breezy) hill. I told Jesse he gets one Carri Skiing day and he should choose it carefully. Today was not the day so I packed a bag of fun and headed to the lounge.
Back in Ohio I accompanied Jesse onto the hill once. It was the coldest day of the year, shivering from the weather and slightly terrified as I fly quasi out of control down the giant mountain (445 m) Since then I've preferred to enjoy my ski resort experience relaxing in the lodge. I've always pictured these lodges with comfy chairs and roaring fireplaces. Perfect places to curl up with a book and relax in the warmth while the cold loving crew swoops and whooshes to their hearts content.
My first lodge day was shared with dear friends. The men folk tackled all things snowey while us ladies prepared to relax in comfort. I may have over estimated the lodge aspect of Mad River Mountain. Plastic tables, school cafeteria chairs, burgers and fries. But a relaxing day spent with some of our favorite people! Wondering how lodges will compare in Japan.
Back in Ohio I accompanied Jesse onto the hill once. It was the coldest day of the year, shivering from the weather and slightly terrified as I fly quasi out of control down the giant mountain (445 m) Since then I've preferred to enjoy my ski resort experience relaxing in the lodge. I've always pictured these lodges with comfy chairs and roaring fireplaces. Perfect places to curl up with a book and relax in the warmth while the cold loving crew swoops and whooshes to their hearts content.
My first lodge day was shared with dear friends. The men folk tackled all things snowey while us ladies prepared to relax in comfort. I may have over estimated the lodge aspect of Mad River Mountain. Plastic tables, school cafeteria chairs, burgers and fries. But a relaxing day spent with some of our favorite people! Wondering how lodges will compare in Japan.
Still no fireplace and comfy chairs. But slightly stepping up the game with "sculpted" plastic tables and cushioned chairs. The food? Definitely better- Ramen, Tempura, Karaage (fried chicken!) all ordered from a vending machine. A perfectly comfortable place for reading and catching up on podcasts. Still holding out for comfy chairs and a fireplace.
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Thursday night we checked snow casts and decided which mountain we were aiming for (thanks to suggestions from the locals!) Friday I booked a midpriced hotel. Now this mid priced hotel was in a ski resort town so the concept of mid priced is a bit fluid. Hotels in Japan are typically small rooms, enough space for all the essentials but nothing more. Beds are highly structured (not fluffy at all!) with one pillow per person. But a fine place to catch some rest in between adventures.
How surprised were we to walk into a giant room, bigger than our apartment with an almost fluffy bed and 2 pillows per person! Then we realize our room includes a dinner buffet with beautiful desserts and breakfast the next morning. After a long day on the mountain it was the perfect space for us to eat and relax and get ready for our next day of winter adventuring.
How surprised were we to walk into a giant room, bigger than our apartment with an almost fluffy bed and 2 pillows per person! Then we realize our room includes a dinner buffet with beautiful desserts and breakfast the next morning. After a long day on the mountain it was the perfect space for us to eat and relax and get ready for our next day of winter adventuring.
While I don't enjoy hurtling myself down an icy mountain (1025 m, much taller than back home) attempting to balancing on sticks, I do enjoy beautiful views and nature! A day of bumming it in the ski lodge followed by a day of winter hiking!!!
Japan has a reputation for technological advancement. Yet, many businesses, parks, official sites have a less than adequate web presence. So in researching where we should traipse about we found lots of conflicting information.
"This trail is uber dangerous, do not go without snowshoes and a guide." "It's a simple out and back hike with gorgeous views!" "Warning! The trail is difficult to find and you will get lost!"
A case of bad google translating? A case of extra strong warning labels for liability reasons? We decided to strap on our winter hiking gear and find out for ourselves.
"This trail is uber dangerous, do not go without snowshoes and a guide." "It's a simple out and back hike with gorgeous views!" "Warning! The trail is difficult to find and you will get lost!"
A case of bad google translating? A case of extra strong warning labels for liability reasons? We decided to strap on our winter hiking gear and find out for ourselves.
Sidenote: All of the time we are learning alot while in Japan. Learning new things about the language, the culture, the traditions. This weekend, we learned how to properly pack for a snow adventuring weekend. Packing all the layers are good! Forgetting to pack snowboots is bad. #lessonslearned
We settled on Goshiki-numa. An area with lots of different ponds and lakes formed from a volcano/landslide eons ago. We easily found the trailhead and began following the other footprints in the snow. A bit of slippy and sliding through icy parts and noting to pack our hiking poles along with snowboots for next weekend. #morepackinglessons
Stopping in amazement as the trail opened to these amazing views! Marveling over the changing colors in the depths of the lakes.
Loving the contrast between the icy frozen parts and the slowly moving watery bits.
Along the route we find a map and a side trail. We decide to follow this detour a bit and see where it leads. Only one set of footprints on this route and their gate was much longer than mine! A few steps in the same footprints, then a few steps in the snow in which we quickly sank through the 6 inches of powder. Trudging through this up and down the hills. Deciding at one point to turn around cause this wasn't nearly as much fun with all the sinking into the snow while wearing tennis shoes, really must remember the snow boots next time.
Back on the trail and among the perfect views. Oooing and aaaahing as we finish out the trail. Well almost finish out the trail. We get to the end of the beautiful lake and turn to head back towards the parking lot. See that dashed line? That's our trail we're aiming to follow. The blue line is the GPS tracking of our the path we took.
Our meandering path as we tried to find out way out. Up ice covered steps to the buildings boarded up for the winter season. Trudging through the snow towards the next boarded up building. Peering down to a perfectly cleared of snow parking lot below. A perfectly cleared parking lot surrounded by mountains of snow. All the snow from the parking lot has been cleared into ginormous piles completely surrounding the lot. And one of those giant piles is in between us and where we need to go.
We wander around this way and that way looking for the trail down. Other folks have wandered this way, we've been tracing their footprints. Meandering around looking for their own way down. They must have found it somewhere right? We decide to aim for the right. Up a smallish embankment to a cleared space. Skirting around a beautiful shrine and realizing we're about four feet, vertical feet of snow from our destination. Taking a deep breath then leaping to the snow pile below.
Our meandering path as we tried to find out way out. Up ice covered steps to the buildings boarded up for the winter season. Trudging through the snow towards the next boarded up building. Peering down to a perfectly cleared of snow parking lot below. A perfectly cleared parking lot surrounded by mountains of snow. All the snow from the parking lot has been cleared into ginormous piles completely surrounding the lot. And one of those giant piles is in between us and where we need to go.
We wander around this way and that way looking for the trail down. Other folks have wandered this way, we've been tracing their footprints. Meandering around looking for their own way down. They must have found it somewhere right? We decide to aim for the right. Up a smallish embankment to a cleared space. Skirting around a beautiful shrine and realizing we're about four feet, vertical feet of snow from our destination. Taking a deep breath then leaping to the snow pile below.
Turns out the internet was sort of right, the trail a bit hard to follow, being all blocked by giant piles of snow.
But we made it and the brilliant scenery was worth it!
But we made it and the brilliant scenery was worth it!